Washtub.



No.688,4.6|. I Patented Dec; lo, 19m.

. A'. FERBER.

WASHTUB.

(Application filed Oct. 12, 1900.)

(I0 Modal.)

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7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTHONY FERBER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SIDNEY SHEPARD & COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

WASHTUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 688,461, dated December 10, 1901. Application filed October 12, 1900- Serial No. 32,843. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANTHdNY FERBER,'a citizen of the United States, residing at Buf falo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Washtubs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to washtubs and'similar laundry vessels which are constructed of sheet metal.

-The object of my invention is to provide such a tub or "essel with a light and strong cleat or bearing-bar which aifords a proper bearing for the clamps of a wash-Wringer and which at the same time stifl'ens the adjacent portion ofthe vessel, so as to prevent buckling thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a washtub provided with my improved bearing-bar. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section thereof in line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section in line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4isa detached perspective view of the bearing-bar. Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary vertical sections of the tub, showing modified constructions of the bar.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A is the body of the washtub, which is preferably constructed of galvanized sheet-steel or other suitable sheet metal and provided at its upper edge with the usual bead a.

B is a horizontal metallic cleat or hearing bar applied to the outer side of the tub, adj acent to its beaded upper edge, and extending continuously around the wall of the tub for a sufficientdistance to formabearing for the two clamps or clamping-jaws of a wash-wringer, the position of such jaws being indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. This cleat consists of a curved, hollow, or box-shaped strip of sheet metal having its end portions bent inwardly at an angle to the strip, as shown at b, and thence outwardly substantially. parallel or concentric with the body of the strip to form attaching-ears I). These ears rest against the tub and are secured thereto by rivets or other suitable fastenings. The strip B is provided at its longitudinal edges with inwardlyextending horizontal flanges b the inner edges of which are curved and bear againstthe side of the tub. By this construction the main or body portion of the bearingbar is arranged outwardly beyond the plane of its attaching-ears and held at a distance from the side of the tub by the longitudinal flanges b which latter resist collapsing or inward deflection of said projecting body portion when the clamps or jaws of a wash-wringer are tightened against the same. The ends of the longitudinal top and bottom flanges b are separated or. disconnected from the end portions 1) and ears b"of the cleats, as shown at b in Figs. 3 and 4, so that when the sheet-metal blank has been formed the top and bottom flanges b can be bent at right angles or thereabouts to the body or main portion of the cleat, and the end portions 1) can be bent inwardly or 'backwardly to bring the ears I) in line with the curved bearing edges of the longitudinal flanges. The body or main portion of the cleat is preferably formed with longitudinal stiffening ribs or corrugations c, which extend from end to end, or nearly so, of the body and which are of less depth than the longitudinal top and bottom flanges 5 so that the cleat does not bear on these ribs, but only on the top and bottom flanges. If desired, the cleat may be provided with stiffening corrugations or beads only at its upper and lower edges, as shown ate in Fig. 5, or these beads may be omitted, as' shown in Fig. 6. In each of these const'ructions the cleat is a hollow box-like bar of sheet metal closed at its front, top, bottom,

and ends exceptat the points where the top and bottom flanges are separated or disconnected from the end portions and ears.

My improved cleat or bearing-bar can be cheaply rolled or stamped from a single blank of sheet metal, and as it is composed wholly of metalitdoes not change its form by warping or shrinking, which isliable to occur when such a bar-is constructed partly or Whollyof wood.

I claim as my invention I 1. Abox-shaped,open-backed bearing-cleat of sheet metal for washtubs and similar vessels, consisting of a curved body or front portion having backwardly-extending longitudinal top and bottom'flanges provided with curved rear edges adapted to bear against the diate of said top and bottom flanges, longitudinal stiifening-corrugations of less depth than said flanges, end portions which extend from the ends of said body portion inwardly, and attaching-ears formed on said end portions in line with the curved bearing edges of said top and bottom flanges, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 5th day of October, 1900.

ANTHONY FERBER. Witnesses:

CARL F. GEYER, CLAUDIA M. BENTLEY. 

